Well brick with stopper rod guide



Marh 18, 1958 w. FLICKINGER, sR., ETAL 2,

WELL BRICK WITH STOPPER ROD GUIDE Filed June 21, 1956 23 INVENTORES WILLIAM E. FLICKING R 8 FIG. 2

GEORGE DOLEN/C ATTORNEY United States Patent WELL BRICK-WITH STOPPER'ROD GUIDE William E. Fliekinger, Sr., and George Dolcnic, Youngstown, Ohio Application June 21, 1956, Serial No. 592,889 I 5 Claims. (Cl. 22--85) This invention relates to hot metal ladles and more particularly to the well brick used therein through which,

A further object of the invention is the provision of;

a device for defining a pouring well in a hot metal ladle and acting as a guide with respect to the stopper rod of the ladle to prevent the stopper-rod from moving out of registry with the well brick. I

A still further object of the invention is the provision; of an improved lining construction for a hot metal ladle and specifically in the well brick and primary brick area thereof around and about the pouring orifice of the ladle so that the well brick and primary brick form an orifice for the reception of the nozzle and at the same time the well brick provides against the accidental displacement of the stopper rod of the ladle thereby enabling the positive control of the molten metal in the ladle at the time of pouring of the same.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a ceramic device incorporating a well therethrough centrally thereof and an upstanding guide integrally therewith adjoining said well.

In the formation of ceramic linings for hot metal ladles, it has been customary to define the pouring orifice of the ladle, located in the bottom wall thereof, by the use of a primary brick and a well brick which are positioned in superimposed relation over the orifice in the ladle and in which a conical nozzle is positioned through which the hot metal pours when a stopper rod normally closing the nozzle orifice is elevated with respect thereto.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the mechanism elevating the stopper rod, as necessary in pouring metal from the ladle, frequently causes the stopper rod to move or float to one side with respect to the orifice of the well brick and nozzle and that under such conditions the stopper rod will not again seat and the situation known in the art as a running stopper results. At

such time, steel or other hot metal in the ladle splashes and the time required to clean up the resulting splashed metal and the attendant necessity of capping and uncapping the heat being poured.

The present invention eliminates the sideward movement or float of the stopper rod and maintains the same in axial alignment with the pouring orifice and thereby prevents the accidental pouring of metal and the attendant monetary and time loss.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention. 1

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a well brick incorporating a stopper rod guide.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through a bottom corner of a hot metal ladle and showing the well brick of Figure 1 in position therein.

By referring to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular it will be seen that a well brick with stopper rod guide is disclosed and comprises an integral body member of ceramic material capable of withstanding the tempera tures of molten steel, the upper and lower surfaces 11 and 12 of which are substantially square and through which a well 13 is centrally positioned.

The well 13 is tapered inwardly and downwardly in its lower 'half and it is flared outwardly and upwardly in its upper half with arcuate side walls 14 so as to define a funnel-like shape. A stopper rod guide portion 15 is formed integrally with the body member 10 of the well brick and extends above thegenerally square upper surface 11 thereof a distance substantially equal to the height of the well brick.

The stopper rod guide portion '15 of the well brick 'forms a vertical extension of the outwardly and upwardly curving wall 14 of the well 13 in the brick throughout substantially half of the diameter thereof with the uppermost portion of the stopper rod guide portion 15 defining a flattened'V-shape in top plan view.

The apex of the flattened V-shape of the stopper rod guide portion 15, as indicated by the numeral 16, lies midway between two of the corners of the well brick 10 on one side thereof with the respective arms of the flattened V-shape extending angularly therefrom in oppositely disposed relation and terminating flush with the adjacent sides of the well brick 10 and between the respective corners thereof, as best shown in Figure'l of the drawings.

It will thus be seen that the stopper rod guide portion 15 of the well brick 10, which is formed integrally there-- with, comprises in effect a wall with a right angular bend therein extending across the upper surface of the well brick 10 and around substantially half of the well 13 therethrough.

By referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings the well brick 10 may be seen in position in a portion of a hot metal ladle including a bottom 17 having an orifice 18 through the bottom wall thereof adjacent a sidewall 19 with a primary brick 20 positioned on the bottom 17 of the ladle with the opening therethrough in registry with the orifice 18 in the ladle.

Plates 21 and 22 are bolted to the bottom 17 of the ladle by bolts 23, the plates 21 and 22 being apertured and acting to hold a nozzle 24 in position in the orifice 18, the primary brick 20 and the well brick 10 (which is positioned on the primary brick 20) in superimposed relation thereto so that the nozzle 24 may be positioned downwardly through the well 13 therein as well as through the orifices in the primary brick 211, the bottom of the ladle and the plate 21.

Those skilled'in the art will recognize that the remainder of the bottom and side walls of the ladle are lined with brick, such as indicated at 25-25, and which bricks are positioned around and about the primary brick 20 and the well brick 10 in the usual manner.

Still referring to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that a portion of a stopper rod is shown in vertical alignment with the nozzle 24, the stopper rod comprising shown) so that the stopper rod may be moved to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 2 of the drawings and thereby close the orifice through the nozzle 24 and alternately elevated to the position shown in solid lines. in Figure 2 whereby the orifice through the nozzle 24 is opened.

It will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that the tendency of the stopper rod 26 to float or move inwardly of the ladle away from the side wall 19 thereof will be prevented by the stopper rod guide portion 15 of the well brick 10 and that the possibility of a running stopper is thereby eliminated.

It will also be seen that the well brick with integral stopper rod guide portion does not interfere with the flow of molten metal from the ladle through the nozzle 24. thus meeting the several objects of the invention.

It will also occur to those skilled'in the art that if desired the nozzle 24 may be integrally formed with the wellbrick 10 so that a single unit may be positioned in the ladle in registry with the primary brick 2d and without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such modification will occur to those skilled in the art as will the possibility of forming the stopper rod guide as a vertical extension of the nozzle However, it is believed that the form of the invention disclosed is the most practical embodiment thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A well brick for a hot metal ladle and comprising an apertured ceramic member having an upstanding integrally formed wall on the upper surface thereof, said wall having a right angular bend therein and extending across said surface of said brick and enclosing substan- 4 tially half the diameter of the aperture in said member.

2. A well brick for a hot metal ladle and comprising a heat resistant body member having a well formed centrally thereof vertically therethrough, the upper portion of the well being of progressively increasing diameter, a stopper rod guide formed integrally with said brick on its uppermost surface and taking the form of a wall of flattened Vshape in top plan extending across the upper surface of the brick from side to side and enclosing at least half of said well.

3. The well brick set forth in claim 1 and wherein the integrally formed wall is of a height above said well brick substantially equal to the height of the well brick.

4. The well brick set forth in claim 2 and wherein the integrally formed wall is of a height above said well brick substantially equal to the height of the well brick.

5. The well brick as set forth in claim 1 and w11ere in the the wall comprises two angularly disposed straight portions joined to one another to form an apex at a point midway between two of the corners on one side of said brick with the opposite ends of said portions of said wall terminating substantially midway of the adjacent sides of said brick.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 927,715 Collier July 13, 1909 1,332,973 Clark Mar. 9, 1920 1,568,246 Saunders a- Jan. 5, 1926 2,005,3ll Belding June 18, 1935 2,654,185 Honiss Oct. 6, 1953 

